Last Saturday officially marked five weeks since the conclusion of the NFL Draft, and Patrick Nelson is still awaiting a phone call from a professional team.

For SMU fans -- and American Athletic Conference fans as a whole -- it's one of the biggest head-scratchers. As an all-AAC first-team selection, someone who had 80 tackles a team-high 18 tackles for loss and an SMU single season-record 12 sacks, many expected Nelson to be one of the first Mustangs to sign as a free agent if he wasn't announced as a late-round draft pick.

June is now here, and Nelson is still without a home in the NFL.

But he's yet to give up hope.

"I'm still waiting on the call," he told The HillTopics. "I'll be ready."

Proof of his preparation comes with a video he made going through basic drills. He's working with his trainer on footwork, lateral movement, hip positioning, quickness and overall acceleration -- skills that will allow him to be either a safety or a linebacker at the next level.

Nelson, at 6-0 and 215 pounds, was a safety who played the Fox position for SMU. He fit in well at the hybrid spot, and while he always considered himself a defensive back, he accepted the role at Fox as head coach Sonny Dykes and defensive coordinator Kevin Kane asked him to be more of a playmaker in the box.

Exactly a month ago, Nelson spoke with The HillTopics and expressed his frustration with not being drafted or getting an opportunity to join a team as a free agent. Since then, Nelson said he has a new agent and is with OTG Sports.

"The way I see it," Nelson said in May, "if you can play football, you can play football."

Nelson is a player who bench presses 225 pounds more than 20 times. He's also someone who runs the 40-yard dash in less than 4.5 seconds consistently. In two seasons at SMU, he registered 145 tackles (95 solo) with 24 tackles for loss. Nelson also had 13.5 sacks, six pass deflections and three interceptions.